Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland is likely to miss Manchester City’s next Premier League game with Crystal Palace but hopes to have him back for the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia later this month.
Haaland missed City’s 2-1 win over Luton due to a “bone stress reaction” in his foot suffered following the defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, Guardiola said, but the City boss has played down fears over any long-term issue.
“He was not ready today, I don’t think so for Crystal Palace but hopefully he can be ready in Saudi Arabia,” Guardiola said.
“Week by week will dictate how he feels. The day after (Villa) he almost could not walk properly.
“Yesterday I spoke with him and he said he was feeling much, much better, that he could walk without pain.
“The doctor says we have to see week by week, day by day how it will get better. Maybe he will be ready for Crystal Palace, I don’t think so but we will see.”
Guardiola’s side ended a run of four Premier League games without a win by coming from behind to beat Luton thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish after Elijah Adebayo had opened the scoring in the first half.
“I said to them, ‘What do we want to do, feel sorry for ourselves?’” Guardiola said of the victory.
“It is football, it is life, it happens. Even if they score a second goal, what do you want to do, complain again and say we are unlucky?
“The big characters, the big teams like this one is, are defined in these situations. We can win 18 games in a row but that doesn’t define who you really are.
“You are defined now, in this moment, four games without winning and 1-0 in a tough stadium. They don’t need to prove to me what they are capable of because they are an extraordinary group but the competition demands you prove it again.”
